The present invention relates to a trap-guard, for use on lines extending up from near ground to secure or connect to an object above ground or on water. The invention was made to provide a trap-guard with a deformable but unitary body structure selectively attachable along lines, ropes, hawsers, etc. The purpose of the invention is to repel or destroy rodent or insert vermin from using an available extended line to climb up and onto a movable object such as a boat on water or tarpaulin covered vehicle, etc., on land. The improved trap-guard is a composite structure precision molded from state of the art plastic compounds so as to have a long useful life.
The scope and content of the prior art has been determined as explained below.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,052,547, February, 1913, Worthington, discloses a rat trap for use on ship's hawsers. A trap has a rat or mouse proof receptacle mounted between a pair of identical disks. The disks are each divided into two parts 1 and 2 and each is hinged together at 3. The disks are each braced together by stays 4 and a covering piece 5 is inserted between each semi-disk 1 for protection of the hawser 6. A rat proof wired enclosure 7 has an aperture 8, rat race 9, and hinged drop door 10 at each end. Stops 11 on door 10 allowed opening to a predetermined point. Another door 12 for emptying purposes is formed in the side of the trap 7. A trap fixed in position on the hawser 6 is held firmly in place by a coiled spring 13 having a hook end 14 and a free end connected to a stay 4.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,060,993, May 1913, Maynard (filed before Worthington), provides a trap-guard with a "means whereby the entrapped animal is smeared with a poisonous material." Maynard has a wire trap 2 between identical disks 3, hinged at 4, with longitudinal internal brace bars 5 having grip members 6 thereon for enclosing a mooring hawser 22. The poison pad 26 extends longitudinally through the trap between end disks 3.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,373,597, April 1921, Carey, discloses a rat guard for ship's ropes comprising a pair of hingedly connected disk sections together forming a flattened cone.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,850,763, March 1932, Morley, discloses a mite trap with a disk plate 16 having a passageway 14 leading to the interior of a receptacle 10.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,233,832, March 1941, Byrd, discloses an insect guard with a coating 5 squeezed firmly against the mounting pipe so as to efect a tight seal.
U.S. Pat. 2,617,378, November 1952, Osol, shows a self-adjusting and locking rat guard for mooring lines wiht hub portions 4 and 5 for snugly surrounding the line 1.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,005,436, October 1961, Caldwell, shows a rat guard for ship hawsers with a resilient member 17 completing a seal around a hawser 28.
The above prior art references are understood to be from a search in Class 114, subclasses 221 and 221 R (including foreign and literature).
Other art of general interest for structural configururations (cone and cylindrical casings) includes: U.S. Pat. No. 1,005,530, October 1911, Fritsch (flytrap); U.S. Pat. No. 1,611,515, December 1926, Crown (fly trap and bug catcher ); U.S. Pat. No. 1,769,408 July 1930, Andrews (ant-poison, feeder); and U.S. Pat. No. 3,320,6982, May 1967, Hellen (lethal trapping device). These four patents are from a search in Class 43, subclasses 1, 107, 120, 121, 131, and 132.1.